The Death of an Emperor
With the US riven by civil war, Napoleon III seized the opportunity to install an emperor in Mexico. The new regime soon fell apart in a catastrophic manner.
Mexico
The Fall of Tenochtitlan
Whether it was a conquest or an invasion, the events that took place in the Aztec capital 500 years ago are in desperate need of reappraisal.
Contested Legacy of the Conquistadors
If we are to better understand the actions of men such as Hernán Cortés, we must place them in the context of a medieval world view that predated the nation state.
Escape to Mexico
Filmmakers, revolutionaries, Iranian shahs – Mexico has a long history of providing political asylum.
Enchiladas, a Culinary Monument to Colonialism
While finding its origins in royal Aztec feasts, the everyday Tex-Mex enchilada is more a product of colonialism and prejudice than authentic heritage.
Saving Mexico from the Devil
The Conquest of Mexico was justified by the Spanish as an evil necessary to save a people who practised human sacrifice and worshipped false gods.
The Wailing Woman
The legend of La Llorona has supposedly haunted Mexico since before the Conquest. Her story is one of violence, much like the country whose suffering she is often taken to represent. Beware the woman in white ...
The Map: Tenochtitlan, 1524
Kate Wiles provides context for the first European image of the Aztec capital, razed by the Spanish in 1521.
The Largest Pyramid in the World
Hidden beneath a hill in Cholula, Mexico lies the largest pyramid ever built.
A Mexican Martyr
Amy Fuller looks at the life of the Mexican nun Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and asks why we feel the need to kill our heroines rather than celebrate their achievements.